Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Liverpool cannot consider themselves title challengers until they find a degree of consistency.

Last season's runners-up slumped to their third defeat of the Premier League season on Saturday by going down 3-1 to West Ham United at Upton Park.

The Reds thumped Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 prior to the international break, and Rodgers admits that his side will not improve on their second-placed finish last term until those results come regularly.

"Everyone will look at Manchester City and Chelsea as the two squads that are really set up [for a title challenge], but there are no limits on what we want to achieve at Liverpool," he told reporters.

"But at this moment in time, we've lost three out of our five games - we need to be much better.

"I don't think we can entertain talk [of the title] until we get some consistency. We showed our potential in the Tottenham game and we need to look to get back to that level as quick as we can."

The Hammers cruised into an early two-goal lead after Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho scored within the opening seven minutes, before Raheem Sterling pulled one back before the break.

Rodgers's side spent much of the second half trying to wield an equaliser before Morgan Amalfitano put the result beyond doubt in the closing minutes.

Liverpool sit 10th in the table, six points behind leaders Chelsea, who have a game in hand.